Business
"Business" generally refers to jobs held by people who own their own business, though it may be confused with some of the employees who work for the business owner. Some businesspeople perform most of the duties of running their business themselves, which may entail a certain degree of physical labor, while others may do little hands-on work. Most people whose jobs fall under the heading of business are concerned mostly with paperwork and management. Accountant Accountants deal mainly with the handling of other people's money, or keeping track of the funds of a large business. They may be involved in making investments (such as in the stock market) on behalf of others, of handling payroll, and taking care of any payments or receipts necessary to the operation of a business. Since the establishment of banks in 902, many formerly independent accountants have taken up jobs working for such institutions. Others went on to join the Treasury Department, in 905. Baker Bakers perform a similar, yet more specific service than cooks or chefs. They buy grains from grist mills as well as fruits, eggs, and other ingredients from farmers or orchardists (though often these purchases are actually made through traders who serve as middle men). Bakers use all this to bake breads and pastries, which they sell in their bakery (whether to buyers from restaurants, or to private customers). Banker Many of the banks which were established in 902 actually grew out of existing accounting firms, and accountants may have simply changed their job title to "banker," though even when this is the case, they may have taken on greater job responsibilities. The term banker really only applies to bank managers, who may employ any number of accountants. It's also possible for bankers to have entered the new field from some occupation other than accounting. Businessman The term "businessman" (or "businessperson") is a broad term which can be applied to any number of fields of business. It is sometimes used in a vague sense, if one is involved in any number of ventures, rather than concentrating on one specifically, or if they simply don't want to specify what exactly it is they do. It may also be used to refer to people in the upper management of large companies, whether those companies conduct one specific type of business or various businesses. Or, it can refer to financiers, who make investments in other people's businesses, whether providing start-up capital for new businesses or loans to existing businesses. (This can also be done by bankers, though financiers make such investments with their own money, rather than that of a financial institution.) Butcher Butchers buy animals used for meat from farmers, ranchers, fishers, or hunters (usually through traders), and then slaughter the animals and prepare cuts of meat to be sold in their shops (whether to restaurants or private customers). Innkeeper This refers to anyone who owns and operates an inn, usually independently. However, there are some chains of inns which are owned by companies; the term innkeeper can be applied to an employee of the company who manages an individual inn within the chain. Landscaper Landscaping is a business which entails any number of skills, including artistry, craftwork, labor, etc., and generally those who own landscaping businesses may employ individuals such as groundskeepers, carvers, carpenters, designers, etc. The profession may include determining where to position various elements of a property, including buildings, gardens, trees, and various ornamentation. It's most common for a person coming from a background in groundskeeping to start landscaping businesses, though landscapers may also come from other walks of life, often being from already wealthy clans, and simply looking for an interesting diversion (though even those who come from wealth may have a genuine passion for the artistry of landscaping, and may well take part in the labors of the job as well as the design aspects). Lessor A lessor is someone who owns houses or apartments, which they rent to tenants. A lessor may be either an individual who owns the property personally, or they may be a representative of a clan or company which owns the property. Publisher This is a job which grew out of the older profession called "printer," which is traditionally categorized as Craftwork, in spite of the fact that it has always constituted a business. In fact there are still some independent printers, whose jobs may be considered a combination of business, labor, and craftwork. However, most printers have for some centuries now been employed by publishers, who are the owners of companies that produce one or more form of print media, including books, magazines, newspapers, and graphic novels. Restaurateur This refers to anyone who owns and operates a restaurant. While some may be simply businesspeople who have opened a restaurant as an investment, most restaurateurs started out as cooks (in the service industry) or as chefs (in the Art and Entertainment industry). They may continue to do most of the cooking in their restaurant themselves, but may also employ a number of other cooks or chefs. Restaurateurs may operate a single establishment of any of various sizes or styles, or may own a chain of restaurants. Shopkeeper Shopkeepers (or vendors) are people who own any number of types of stores, large or small, selling any type of goods. The term may also apply to shop managers who are employed by a company which owns a chain of shops. Shopkeepers may employ any number of people such as clerks, who are members of the service industry. Spiritmaker This term refers to the owner of a small business or a larger company which produces any of various types of spirits. However, the term can also be used as a general term for employees of such companies, including brewers, distillers, and vintners, all of which are categorized as science. Taverner Refers to the owner of a tavern. The term is closely related to "restaurateur" and "innkeeper," as many taverns also serve food and may be part of an establishment which also offers rooms for rent. Trader Traders are people who are basically in the same profession as shopkeepers or vendors; that is, they sell any of various types of goods. However, unlike shopkeepers, traders do not typically own shops nor sell their goods in any one place. Traders are often middlemen, who purchases goods from those who produce them, such as those involved in agriculture, Art and Entertainment, Craftwork, etc. They may operate independently or as part of larger trading firms, which they may own or co-own. They may operate within a single village or between villages. Many people think of traders as adventurers, especially if their trade routes involve travel by ship. Transporter Transporters are people whose jobs entail traveling between villages, using any of various types of transportation. They may operate independently or be owners of business such as postal services. They may deliver not only mail, but also people or livestock. Their job is not dissimilar from that of traders, except that they do not assume actual ownership of the goods (and obviously not the people) they are are transporting, and their business is therefore less speculative than that of traders. The term transporter may also be applied to the owners of taxi services, which operate within villages. (Though the actual drivers most commonly do not own the service, but rather are employees of the transporter; taxi divers are members of the service industry.) Undertaker This refers to people whose business entails any details related to handling people who have died. Undertakers prepare bodies for burial, make arrangements with the families of the deceased as well as with spirit-talkers who may perform funeral services, and are responsible for overseeing the burial of the bodies. They may employ various assistants, including gravediggers (one function of certain groundskeepers). Unionist Also called a "union leader," this refers to someone whose job it is to coordinate, administrate, and represent the interests of any of the various trade unions that began springing up during and shortly after the Coming of the Order. These people typically started out working in whatever trade their union represents, but the responsibility of running unions became a full-time job in itself. There is some disagreement over how to categorize this job. Since most unions represent people in careers considered labor, some say unionists should be classified this way, though many laborers feel it would be inappropriate, since unionists engage in little labor, themselves. Others say it's more of a service job, while some say it's political in nature. The general consensus, however, is that it comes closest to the vague job referred to as "businessperson." A unionist's salary comes from dues paid by union members, though most of this money goes toward the services provided by the union to represent the rights of its members. See also *List of jobs Category:Culture